UMW in Bonaire

Coral, Climate, and Conservation

Start your summer off in Bonaire, a small island near the northern coast of Venezuela with Dr. Pamela Grothe of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department.  Working closely with Scuba Shack Fredericksburg, you will have the opportunity to explore local reefs and marine life right before your eyes. Most importantly, you will gain hands on experience in coral restoration practices, helping to restore the shallow reefs of Bonaire.

Students will be studying:

• climate change and how it is affecting coral reefs
• how corals are used as past climate change recorders
• anthropogenic stressors on coral reefs
• coral conservation methods with emphasis on coral restoration in Bonaire

Accommodations

Students will stay at Buddy Dive resort.  Rooming configuration will be decided at a later date but students should expect shared rooms and living areas.

Coursework

In addition to the program travel during Summer, students will enroll in the Spring 2019 course EESC 360D: Environmental Exploration for 4 credits (to be taught for the first 8 weeks of the Spring 2019 semester).

This course satisfies the Experiential Learning OR Global Inquiry general education requirement by contract with the faculty director only.

Requirements & Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course though the course is by Permission of Instructor (POI). Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in order to participate. This program is open to all UMW students regardless of major or year of study though preference is given to those in the EESC major. Space is limited and in addition to registering for the program, students need to complete an additional application form.  Contact Dr. Pamela Grothe (pgrothe@umw.edu) for details,the application form, and instructions. The program is also open to non-UMW students but enrollment in EESC 360D for the Spring 2019 semester is required.

Due to the nature of this program, students must be able and prepared for rigorous hiking and water activities, to include swimming and open water snorkeling, as part of the course expectations.

Students do not need to be SCUBA certified but it is highly recommended that they are in order to fully participate in the coral restoration course in Bonaire. Those not SCUBA certified will have the opportunity to observe others practicing coral restoration while snorkeling. Students will have the opportunity to complete their open water SCUBA certification with an additional Coral Restoration Diver Specialty as part of the program for an additional cost of $820.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the program, seniors who take part in this program may not receive their UMW diploma until August 2019. These students should be able to walk at the May 2019 graduation but degree conferral will be delayed. 

Scholarships

Faculty-Led Program Scholarships are available to UMW students (deadlines apply).

Payment

See the program fees and payment due dates in the right column. Use the Make a Payment button below to pay your deposit and regular program payment. Use the Special Payment option to pay a special amount (such as additional insurance or payment in a different amount as a result of a scholarship award).

Online payees have the choice of either credit card or eCheck payment. Credit card payments will incur a 2.75% service fee. There is no service charge for eCheck payments.